354 CHARLES CARD ALE BABINGTON. [1861 



course is, as you know, necessarily a short one, and that alone 

 would necessitate a limitation of the subject. Fortunately, such a 

 limitation falls in quite with my own ideas of what is desirable to 

 be taught to such a set of students as we have here. I hope to 

 give them a foundation of accurate and minute observation, upon 

 which they can safely build for themselves afterwards. How I may 

 succeed, time will shew — I have fears, but shall do my best. I 

 shall always be most obliged to you for any hints that may occur 

 to you on botanical matters. Our herbarium is in a sad state, and 

 must remain so until there is a fit place to put it in. At present it 

 is quite useless, and fills up the only room that we have, so that I 

 can hardly turn round in it. — Yours very truly, Charles C. 

 Babington. 



To Sir Joseph D. Hooker, K.C.S.I. 



Cambridge, July 30, 1861. 



Dear Hooker, — By the blundering of the Post Office clerks 

 your second letter has been upon its travels, and only just arrived 

 here. I am very much obliged to you and to Dr. Wright, and 

 shall be glad to get the two wanting volumes of Wright's " Icones," 

 to complete the work at £5, and if he will send the books to me I 

 will pay him for them immediately. I shall also be exceedingly 

 glad to get the copy of the index, so as to render the work more 

 available, and thank you very much for your offer to obtain a copy 

 for our Museum. I have no doubt that the box has arrived, but 

 as I only returned here last night, I do not yet know. I do not 

 believe that it will be possible to get anything done towards the 

 arrangement of the herbarium until the proposed New Museum is 

 built — that is, probably for two years at the least. All we can do 

 is to keep the packages dry, and trust to the poison for their 

 preservation. When the time comes for arranging them, I shall be 

 exceedingly glad to avail myself of your kindly offered advice. I 

 am very sorry to learn that G. Henslow has lost his child. It is a 

 sad additional affliction for him. I shall be very glad of the flints 

 sometime for the Cambridge Antiquarian Museum. — Yours truly, 

 Charles C. Babington. 



To the Rev. T. A. Preston. 



Aug. 14, 1861. 



Dear Preston, — If you contemplate again giving botanical 

 prizes, I should advise some such alterations as I have made on the 

 enclosed paper. You must judge for yourself what "Flora" to 

 adopt, but do certainly give up Bentham's book. I think that a 

 short paper of questions out of Henfrey would be a valuable 

 addition to the scheme. It is not asking much, and if the contents 

 of the book are well got up, much will be learned. — Yours truly, 

 Charles C. Babington. 



